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A brief history of the kitchen pantry

While a cool pantry might be a hot trend, they’re no new thing. • Pantries have been around since medieval times when different food types were kept in specific rooms. Back then the pantry housed bread. • In the Victorian era, estates also had separate rooms for each stage of food preparation and clean up. The butler often slept in the pantry to protect the estate’s silverware. • In the early 1900s, Hoosier Manufacturer in Indiana introduced the Hoosier Cabinet. This all-in-one pantry with bins, containers, cupboards and drawers was deemed perfect for the “modern kitchen.”

And although ample storage is Wardlow's favorite thing about her pantry, there’s plenty more to love including a full-size refrigerator and sink, butcher block countertop and a 36-by-67 inch window that transforms the space into an actual room.

“I love the window,” she said. “I never feel like I’m standing in a closet.”

A kitchen remodel of the 1969 Dutch Colonial home by MainStreet Design Build included moving the laundry facilities to the second floor and reclaiming the space as a kitchen pantry and separate mud room.

“We didn't want to take any space away from the kitchen, but this room is just one step off the kitchen,” said Christine Ramaeker, vice president of MainStreet Design Build in Birmingham.

A kitchen pantry like this, including moving walls, relocating plumbing, new electrical work, floors and drywall, can range from $15,000 to $25,000.

The pantry, defined as any small storeroom or closet used for non-perishable foods, has been making a comeback in American homes since the late 1990’s, according to Christine Ramaeker, vice president of MainStreet Design Build in Birmingham.

“Having a full-service pantry just steps away from the hustle and bustle of today’s busy kitchen adds a bit of simplicity to our hectic lives,” she says

Making pantries more room-like with detailed molding and furniture is a trend Ramaeker is seeing more of, along with fun entries like glass doors. Functionality is also in high demand for today’s kitchen pantry with closed storage for cleaning supplies and a sink for cleaning or prep work.

Wardlow fills her pantry sink with ice and uses it as a cooler when entertaining. The pantry refrigerator is stocked with beverages and snacks for her three children. “Even the neighbor kids know where to go for snacks in our house,” Wardlow says.

In addition to the painted maple cupboards that hold everything from batteries to sunblock, the pantry also features more than a full wall of six painted poplar shelves for items like dog food, crock pots, coolers and non-perishable food.

“I don't worry about where to put things,” Wardlow said. “Things that were once scattered throughout the house are now all together here.”

When Mike and Gail Curi remodeled their Rochester Hills kitchen they forgot one thing -- the pantry.

“Here I had this beautiful new kitchen and every time I’d open my pantry door I was disgusted,” Gail Curi said.

After a month they called in Timothy Schulte, from Colonial Millwork in Almont, to make the 5-by-8 foot pantry worthy of the kitchen to which it’s attached. Schulte carried over elements from the kitchen into the pantry -- the cabinet doors, fluted column dividers and crown details.

No space was wasted with Floor-to-ceiling maple shelves, each adjustable to accommodate any need. Big bowls, serving dishes, even grocery bags, each have their own place in the pantry. The custom-made shelves are edged in the same style as the kitchen and were assembled in the pantry. The cost of the pantry remodel was $4,000.

Mike’s favorite aspect is the granite countertop. Equipped with its own outlets it holds a number of small appliances, freeing up valuable counter space in the kitchen.

“I make my coffee in here every morning,” Mike said.

The pantry’s effect on guests is Gail's favorite thing. “Company comes over and they all go in the pantry. They like it more than the kitchen.”